Allium oleraceum

Features on our Page 'The Edible lawn' in the Habitat Section of Plant Uses.

Allium oleraceum is a BULB growing to 0.6 m by 0.1 m .
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite and is pollinated by Bees, insects. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light and medium soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

An easily grown plant, it prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Seed is rarely if ever produced in Britain. The plant usually produces many small bulbils in the flowering head and these can spread themselves freely around the garden. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.